Covenants, Conditions And Restrictions for the South Shores Neighborhood

During the early South Shores development period of the late 1950’s and the early 1960’s, developers established specific covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC & R’s) on specific tracts of homes in the area. Several tracts were established in both lower and upper South Shores. Most of the tracts had CC & R language that required the homeowners to vote to renew them at the end of ten years for another ten-year period. The majority of these tracts regulations (all in upper South Shores) were not renewed by the property owners involved so these CC & R’s expired.

However, there are four tracts (click for a map:17400, 19063, 19457, and 22374) that have language that states that these CC & R’s automatically are renewed for another ten years, unless 75% of the residents in each of these respective tracts vote to discontinue them. One tract 19063 covers residential property in eastern upper South Shores (Moray to Western Ave. between Cumbre and 25th St. The other three tracts make up almost all of lower South Shores below 25th St. to the ocean and west of Western Avenue to the Los Angeles city boundary.

Originally the developer administered these four tracts CC & R process. In the mid 1960’s the South Shores Homeowners Association voted to take over the administration of them from the developer. The association created a three-member Architectural Committee (called for in the CC & R’s) to administer them as directed by the language in each CC & R tract document. Currently, residents Jerry Gaines, Silvia Benko, and John Wentworth serve on the committee.

Three of the tracts (19063, 19457, and 22374) contain language that focuses on two key elements: Proposed general style of the residential plan and potential visual view impact if the residential plan is for floors extending above a one-story structure. One tract (17400 which covers the 25th to 27th street area of lower South Shores) only focuses on the general style, not visual view impact.

Residents of South Shores planning a home improvement project, are requested to please contact the South Shores Homeowners' Association Architectural Committee Chairman, Jerry Gaines (jgaines852@aol.com) at (310) 833-2103.

Residents are asked to submit preliminary external plans to the Architectural Committee along with a $10 check made out to the South Shores Homeowners Association. The committee is required to respond to an applicant within 30 days from the time it receives plans from the property owner.

Given the legal fact that CC & R’s are a civil law matter, not a city ordinance matter, it is important to note that they serve as a discussion basis for addressing concerns that arise between immediate property owners impacted by a proposed residential development project planned for in lower South Shores or eastern Upper South Shores.

It has been the position of the South Shores Homeowners Association that those parties involved should work directly with each other to address potential impacts from planned residential development. The Architectural Committee in effect serves as an impartial third party to help mitigate potential conflicts. It does not poll residents, but views proposals from an impartial third party view. It renders its opinions after a review of plans and a site visit.

If legal disputes develop between residents, the committee opinion can be inserted by either party as a “third party objective view” for additional evidence related to the alleged “economic damage.”

It is important to note that the South Shores Homeowners Association does not initiate legal action on the part of any resident. If a resident ignores the review process and it is brought to the attention of the association by adjacent property owners, a letter is sent to the property owner involved indicating the fact that the particular property owner ignored the CC & R process.

Residents in these tracts are asked to respect the CC & R process as a supporting method to help define the historical character of South Shores.